Kyle Korver Joining Nets As Player Development Coach
Kyle Korver, a 17-year NBA veteran, has lined up a deal to join the Nets as a player development coach on Steve Nash‘s staff, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Korver, 40, has yet to announce his retirement, but this move is a pretty clear signal that his playing days are probably over. After spending the 2019/20 season with the Bucks, Korver didn’t play in the NBA in 2020/21, and suggested in February about whether or not he would play in the league again.
The 51st overall pick in the 2003 draft, Korver appeared in a total of 1,232 regular season games – and another 145 postseason contests – for the Sixers, Jazz, Bulls, Hawks, Cavaliers, and Bucks. He averaged 9.7 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 25.3 minutes per game and was one of the best long-distance shooters of his era, knocking down 42.9% of his three-pointers over the course of his career.
Korver currently ranks fourth on the NBA’s all-time list with 2,450 made three-pointers, though Nets star James Harden (2,445) figures to pass his new coach for that spot early in 2021/22.
Nash’s coaching staff took a hit this offseason when Ime Udoka was hired as Boston’s head coach and Mike D’Antoni stepped down from his assistant role. However, the team has made some noteworthy hires, adding David Vanterpool as an assistant and agreeing to bring aboard Steve Clifford as a coaching consultant.
Bulls Officially Acquire DeMar DeRozan From Spurs Via Sign-And-Trade
The Bulls and Spurs have officially finalized the sign-and-trade deal sending veteran forward DeMar DeRozan to Chicago, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
DeRozan confirmed (via Twitter) that his deal with Chicago, which was first reported last Tuesday, is now done, while the Bulls and Spurs issued press releases announcing the move. DeRozan reportedly received a fully-guaranteed three-year, $85MM commitment from Chicago
In exchange for the four-time All-Star, the Spurs received forwards Thaddeus Young and Al-Farouq Aminu, a future protected first-round pick, the Lakers’ 2022 second-round pick, and the Bulls’ 2025 second-round pick. The earliest the Spurs will receive that first-round pick from Chicago is in 2025, since the Bulls owe a top-four protected 2023 first-rounder to Orlando.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Ted Stepien Rule]
The move punctuates a productive offseason for the Bulls, who also landed Lonzo Ball in a sign-and-trade with New Orleans and signed Alex Caruso using the mid-level exception. They’ll join a group led by Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic as Chicago looks to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
While DeRozan’s lack of a three-point shot (he has made 35 in the last three seasons) is an oddity for a wing in the modern NBA, his mid-range game is deadly and he has become a legitimately dangerous play-maker, averaging a career-best 6.9 assists per game in 2020/21 to go along with his 21.6 PPG and 4.2 RPG. Opponents will have a tough time stopping lineups featuring him, LaVine, and Vucevic, even if it won’t be the most stout group defensively.
The Sixers, Suns, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Celtics, Clippers, and Knicks were reportedly among the teams to express interest in DeRozan, but some of those clubs went in different directions and several didn’t have the ability to match or top the Bulls’ offer to the 32-year-old.
With Ball, DeRozan, and Caruso officially locked up, the Bulls will focus on resolving Lauri Markkanen‘s contract situation. The restricted free agent forward is reportedly looking for a fresh start away from Chicago, but the Bulls won’t want to let him walk without getting an asset or two in return.
The Spurs, meanwhile, are now free to move forward on completing the rest of their reported free agent signings, including Zach Collins, Bryn Forbes, and Jock Landale.
The DeRozan deal had been the last trade reported during the 2021 offseason that hadn’t yet been finalized. All of this month’s reported trades are now official.
Isaiah Thomas On Lakers’ Radar
The Lakers still have multiple roster spots available after overhauling their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis this offseason, and according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, free agent guard Isaiah Thomas is among the players the team is considering to fill one of those openings.
As Stein explains, it’s far from a lock that the Lakers will sign Thomas, but he’s among the targets the team is keeping its eye on in the search for “additional backcourt punch.”
Thomas generated some buzz on social media over the weekend by racking up 81 points in a Pro-Am game in Seattle. However, he has struggled to make an impact at the NBA level in recent years.
Thomas has appeared in 55 total games since the start of the 2018/19 season for the Nuggets, Wizards, and Pelicans, averaging 11.1 PPG and 3.2 APG on .393/.381/.771 shooting in 21.0 minutes per contest during that time. While those numbers aren’t bad, they haven’t been enough to make up for his below-average defense and earn him a full-season rotation role.
Stein – who reported last week that the Celtics have also mulled the idea of a reunion with Thomas – says the Lakers don’t view Thomas’ failed stint alongside James with the 2017/18 Cavaliers as a deterrent, but will still have to decide how best to use their final roster spots.
Currently, Los Angeles has 12 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Joel Ayayi and Austin Reaves on two-way deals.
Nets Confident About Extending Harden, Irving
The Nets completed one major piece of offseason business when they signed Kevin Durant to a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension worth nearly $198MM. Now, the team is shifting its focus to James Harden and Kyrie Irving, both of whom are extension-eligible too.
Speaking today to reporters, general manager Sean Marks said the Nets have engaged with both star guards about new deals and are “confident” that they’ll get something done before training camp begins in late September (Twitter link via Malika Andrews of ESPN).
It’s unclear if Brooklyn will simply put long-term, maximum-salary offers on the table for Harden and Irving, as the team did for Durant, or if more extensive negotiations will be required.
The largest possible extensions for the two stars would work out to $161MM over three years for Harden (starting in 2023/24) and a projected $186.6MM over four years for Irving (starting in 2022/23), according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Marks admitted today that he thought restricted free agent Bruce Brown might get a big offer sheet from another team that would make life difficult for the Nets (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). However, Brown – who accepted his one-year, $4.7MM qualifying offer – told him that “the job wasn’t done” in Brooklyn.
- While he acknowledged that the roster could look a little different in a month or two, Marks said the plan is “definitely” for DeAndre Jordan to be part of the team moving forward (Twitter link via Lewis).
- The Nets made defense a priority in free agency, according to Marks (Twitter link via Lewis). Lewis wrote about that subject in more depth for The New York Post, noting that in addition to re-signing Brown, the team brought in Jevon Carter, DeAndre’ Bembry, and James Johnson.
- Marks pointed to rebounding as an issue the Nets still need to address, whether via a roster addition or internally (Twitter link via Lewis).
Knicks Officially Sign Kemba Walker
10:55am: Walker’s new deal is worth $18MM over two years, sources tell Mike Vorkunov and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
9:40am: The Knicks have officially signed free agent point guard Kemba Walker, the team announced today in a press release. It’s a homecoming for Walker, who was born and raised in the Bronx.
“We are beyond thrilled to bring native New Yorker Kemba Walker back to the city he’s proud to call home. He’s a tremendous talent whose skill and leadership will be a huge addition to our organization,” Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose said in a statement. “We’ve already seen how well he performs on The Garden stage and can’t wait to witness it on a nightly basis in front of his family, friends, and the best fans in the league.”
Word first broke last Wednesday that Walker had agreed to a buyout with the Thunder and was planning to sign with the Knicks. Oklahoma City officially placed the Walker on waivers on Friday after the two sides finalized a buyout agreement that saw the 31-year-old give up $20MM of the $73MM+ left on his contract.
Walker’s new deal with the Knicks is expected to cover two seasons and be worth about $8-9MM annually, as reported last week by Ryan McDonough of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link).
Walker, who was traded from Boston to Oklahoma City in June, was limited to 43 games for the Celtics in 2020/21 due to knee issues, but put up strong numbers in the games he played, averaging 19.3 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.0 RPG on .420/.360/.899 shooting in 31.8 minutes per contest.
The four-time All-Star will join a Knicks backcourt that also features Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, and second-round pick Miles McBride.
New York has been a little slower than some teams in finalizing the free agent deals it agreed to during the moratorium — the order of operations is crucial for the Knicks, who are completing most of their signings using cap space. The team officially completed Nerlens Noel‘s deal on Tuesday and have now finalized Walker’s too. The others – including Rose, Burks, and Evan Fournier – will likely be announced soon.
Kings Guarantee Salaries For Damian Jones, Chimezie Metu
The Kings have guaranteed the contracts of center Damian Jones and Chimezie Metu, according to tweets from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and NBC Sports Bay Area’s James Ham, respectively. Jones’ contract is now fully guaranteed while Metu received a partial guarantee.
The 26-year-old Jones, the former 30th overall pick by the Warriors in 2016, was assured of his $1.98MM salary for 2021/22 as long as he wasn’t waived today, ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains (via Twitter). After bouncing around the league, Jones finished last season in Sacramento, playing 17 games for the Kings and averaging 6.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 20 minutes a night.
His play as the team’s backup center at the end of the season allowed him to parlay his two separate 10-day contracts into a partially-guaranteed deal. He will now go into the season holding onto the Kings’ 14th roster spot.
Metu, who was converted from a two-way contract at the end of last season, is he Kings’ 15th man for the time being. The 24-year-old power forward/center has improved each year in the league, averaging 6.3 PPG and 3.1 RPG while shooting 35% from three last season, all career-highs.
According to Ham, Metu’s contract is now partially guaranteed for $881,398 — it has the potential to be worth $1.8MM over the entire season if he sticks with the team.
Thunder Sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl To Four-Year Deal
6:11pm: The Thunder’s deal with Robinson-Earl is now official, the club announced in a press release.
4:03pm: The Thunder and second-round pick Jeremiah Robinson-Earl have agreed to a four-year deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Charania reports that the agreement is worth $8MM, which is a big number for a player picked in the second round. A four-year, minimum-salary deal for Robinson-Earl would be worth approximately $6.3MM, so it sounds like he’ll earn more than the minimum in at least the first and second years of the deal. It’s unclear how many of the four years will be fully guaranteed.
Robinson-Earl, a 6’9″ forward, averaged 15.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 25 games (34.5 MPG) for Villanova as a sophomore in 2020/21, earning Big East co-Player of the Year honors.
Robinson-Earl was selected with the 32nd pick in the draft by the Knicks on behalf of the Thunder. Oklahoma City paid a significant price to move up two spots to nab the 20-year-old, sending New York the 34th and 36th overall picks in the deal.
Although the Thunder could open up a huge chunk of cap room by renouncing their various cap exceptions, it looks like they intend to operate as an over-the-cap team for the time being, which means Robinson-Earl will be signed using a portion of the club’s mid-level exception.
Wizards Sign Isaiah Todd To Four-Year Deal
AUGUST 11: Todd’s deal is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
AUGUST 10: The Wizards have reached an agreement with No. 31 overall pick Isaiah Todd on a four-year contract, agents Wallace Prather and Steve Haney tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Todd’s four-year deal will be worth $7MM and will include three guaranteed seasons.
As our chart of multiyear minimum-salary contract values shows, a four-year minimum deal for a rookie would be worth about $6.3MM, so it sounds like Todd’s first-year salary will be higher than the minimum. Washington will complete the signing using a portion of the team’s mid-level exception, which allows the club to offer up to four years.
[RELATED: 2021 NBA Draft Pick Signings]
Todd, 19, was one of the prospects who opted to join the G League Ignite for the 2020/21 season rather than playing for a college program or going overseas. While he was overshadowed to some extent by teammates Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, Todd posted solid numbers in his first professional season, averaging 12.3 PPG and 4.9 RPG on .437/.362/.824 shooting in 25 games (24.4 MPG).
The 6’10” forward, who was the first player drafted in the second round, was technically selected by the Bucks on draft night on behalf of the Wizards. Milwaukee traded his rights to the Pacers, who subsequently flipped them to Washington in the five-team Russell Westbrook/Spencer Dinwiddie trade.
Celtics Have Made Offer To Dennis Schröder
The Celtics, who were reported last week to be in discussions with Dennis Schröder, have made a contract offer to the free agent point guard, league sources tell Jordan Schultz of ESPN (via Twitter).
According to Schultz, the Celtics’ offer to Schröder is a one-year deal worth the taxpayer mid-level exception (approximately $5.9MM). However, Schröder is seeking a second-year player option and a deal worth the full mid-level exception (about $9.5MM), per Schultz.
[RELATED: Values Of 2021/22 Mid-Level, Bi-Annual Exceptions]
Going above the taxpayer portion of the MLE would hard-cap the Celtics, which the team wants to avoid, Schultz notes. There have also been reports that Boston wants to create as much cap flexibility as possible in 2022, which may make the club reluctant to tack on a second-year player option for Schröder.
Despite the current impasse, there’s reason to believe the Celtics and Schröder could be a good match. Boston has been in the market for a new point guard after having traded Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City in June, and opportunities around the league are drying up for Schröder, who was viewed as one of the top point guards on the market entering free agency. A short-term deal that gives the Celtics another backcourt play-maker and scorer and gives the 27-year-old a chance to rebuild his value could benefit both sides.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Celtics are exploring possible trades involving Kris Dunn and/or Bruno Fernando before “concluding” their conversations with Schröder. If Boston could shed salary in a deal involving Dunn and Fernando and create more breathing room below a potential hard cap, perhaps the team would be more willing to go above the taxpayer mid-level for Schröder.
Rockets First-Rounder Garuba Reaches Buyout Agreement With Real Madrid
Spanish big man Usman Garuba has reached a buyout agreement with Real Madrid that will allow him to get out of his contract with the Spanish club and join the Rockets for the 2021/22 season, according to a report from Jose Luis Martinez of Marca.com (hat tip to Sportando).
As we relayed last month, Garuba’s NBA buyout clause with Real Madrid was said to be worth three million Euros and would have become even more expensive in future years.
An NBA team can contribute to a player’s buyout with his international club, but only up to $775K (approximately €655K). That meant that if Garuba wanted to make the leap to the NBA right away after being selected with the No. 23 pick in the 2021 draft, most of the buyout would have to come out of his own pocket.
According to Martinez, Garuba and Real Madrid – who had the big man under contract through at least 2024 – agreed to a deal that will allow him to pay off the rest of his buyout in installments.
Garuba, 19, has been a member of Real Madrid since 2017 and was a regular part of the team’s rotation in 2020/21. He was named the ACB Best Young Player and also received the EuroLeague Rising Star award, then missed the 2021 draft because he was representing Spain at the Tokyo Olympics.
Assuming Garuba plays out his full rookie scale contract with the Rockets, he’ll ultimately come out ahead despite having to send a sizable chunk of his salary back to Real Madrid. As our breakdown shows, he projects to earn about $11.8MM over the course of the four-year NBA deal.
Once they officially sign Garuba, the Rockets will have all four of their first-round picks under contract. Jalen Green (No. 2), Alperen Sengun (No. 16), and Josh Christopher (No. 24) have already signed.